Life is a Picture to Burn
by blonde-gal
Summary: Gabriella realized he loved himself more than he would ever love her. So she took it into her own hands and showed him girl power. Troyella sort of but it doesn't end happily ever after. Sort of a song fic. R & R


"Hey babe," Troy says casually as he wraps his arm around my shoulders.

"Hey Troy," I respond trying to keep a smile plastered on my face. "So Troy, what are we doing today?" I ask sweetly, giving off the air of perfect ease, wow, being in musicals really help my acting skills Troy doesn't even notice I'm lying. I glance up at him, he's not paying attention. I follow his gaze and see his basketball posse, the announcements, and cheerleaders. Oh joy.

"Troy," I call out again snapping my fingers in front of his face.

"Oh, Gabi were you saying something. Sorry I just spaced out for a bit," he responds with that to die for smile.

"Nothing much, I was just wondering what we were doing today."

"Well, I was thinking we could just hang out at my house for a while and practice our song for the variety show. Sound cool?"

"Sounds great Troy." I responded, a little too brightly. Honestly I know I'm always perky but my voice is starting to sound like Shar's.

"Well then what are we waiting for m'lady, after you."

I followed Troy out into the parking lot. Technically juniors weren't supposed to park in the senior lot, but since Troy was king of the school he got away with it. "Hey Troy," I called, "Can I drive your truck?" Honestly I wasn't expecting for him to let me, after all I had been asking since he got it sophomore year, he still hasn't let me drive it.

"Well, Gabs, I would let you but I wouldn't want you to get hurt. This trucks a little more powerful than what you're used to driving," Troy said, a little flustered. I wanted to tell him that was absolute B.S. because I drove my Uncle's trucks out in Oregon to help with the hay bailing every fall. Why couldn't Troy just admit that he doesn't want me to drive his truck because he's scared I'll shoot the engine?! Sometimes I wonder whether he loves his truck more than me.

But I'm quiet little Gabi, I'm never going to be able to say exactly what I mean, at least not to Troy. "What do you want to listen too?"

"Doesn't matter as long as its not some girly pop garbage."

"No problem." I continued to flip through stations until I found Taylor Swift's _Should've Said No_. "I love this song," I cried out, not exactly caring if I sounded 5 as I began to sing along. "_You said you'd take it all back, Given one chance, it was a moment of weakness and you said yes. You should've said no. You should've gone home. You should've thought twice before you let it all go. You should've known word of…_" Abruptly my music turned off, so I looked to Troy. "What did you do that for?"

"I said no pop garbage."

"But that wasn't pop, it was country. And that song was amazing. It totally got me over my…" I trailed off, catching myself before I told Troy about Cody, my ex-boyfriend. Luckily, or unluckily, Troy didn't notice so I didn't have to explain myself, but then again he wasn't listening to me, ugh boys are so stupid sometimes. I closed my eyes and listened to Troy sing along with Panic! At the Disco, _But Its Better if You Do_. Troy had a nice voice but it didn't compliment the song at all.

Pretty soon we pulled into Troy's driveway, or rather his parents driveway. He promptly jumped out of the drives side to open the door for me. What is with all the acts of chivalry all of the sudden?

Troy and I walked inside, he threw his stuff down and walked up the stairs to his room. I waited for him to invite me in or something else along those lines. When he didn't I figured the polite chivalry stuff was gone and I followed him upstairs.

"So Gabi, I was thinking that at the end of the song I would kiss you on your cheek, like after callbacks."

"I don't know Troy, won't it seem kinda forced and repetitive?"

"Nah Gabs, it will look natural, and everyone will love it."

"Well even if it doesn't look unnatural won't it feel weird."

"No Gabi it won't."

"But it won't be spontaneous and…"

"God, Gabi this is what I want to so just say okay and be done with it!" Troy shouted. Troy has never shouted at me before and it was freaking me out a bit.

"Okay, Troy. On both accounts," I responded in a meek manner and wondered what happened to my sweet boyfriend/best friend that seemed to disappear after he was the star in the musical. "So are we going to practice now?"

"I think we're ready for the variety show tomorrow, so no. Anyway it would be bad to strain your vocal cords this close to the performance."

"Alright then. Well I'm going to head home and raid my closet for clothes to wear and if I can't find anything then I'll probably go shopping with the girls." Troy nodded to show that he heard or he recognized that I was done talking. I'm not exactly sure which. I walked over to him and kissed him gently on his cheek. Probably a stupid move but this was Troy, the one who controlled my for so long, the one I was giving one last chance to redeem himself. I needed to know that he loved me for me not the fact that I was hot and it upped his popularity status to be hanging around a geek as a show of kindness. All I got was a small hug before he turned started talking to people online.

"Hey 'Pay, its Gabi," I started, calling in a favor to do something that would almost kill me. Almost being the key word.

"What's up girly?" Came the perky response from one of my best friends. "Tay and Kels are here so want me to put ya onto speaker?"

"That's okay. I was just wondering if you could get Ms. Darbus to add me as a solo act at the end of the show?"

"Um yah, I think I can swing that. Any particular reason?"

"Yes, but can you just wait to find out until tomorrow?"

"Okay babe, I'll see you then."

"Kay see you then."

"Who was that Shar?" Kelsi asked, Sharpay no longer scared her after Gabi and Troy got rid of the status quo.

"That was Gabs," Sharpay replied, her mind somewhere else.

"And…" Taylor prompted.

"I think she's going to teach Troy a lesson about girl power." Sharpay then flounced off leaving Taylor and Kelsi to decipher her cryptic message.

I went through the school day acting as if nothing was wrong or out of the ordinary. I talked to Tay, Kels and 'Pay. Got annoyed to no end by Chad and pretended I believed Troy when he said he was listening to me.

As I was waiting for Troy's and my's turn in the V-show Chad came by to visit me.

"Hey Gabster. You nervous?"

I smiled a little at him. Even though it was a little depressing that my boyfriend's best friend cared about how I was feeling more than my actual boyfriend. "I feel great Chad. Do I look okay?" I asked hurriedly. I was in my homecoming dress, I thought it fit the song.

"You look fantastic," he looked as if he was going to say something more but Darbus interrupted by telling me that it was my turn. "Knock em' dead," he called before rushing to his seat in the audience.

I walked up to Troy and smiled softly. _Here we go_, I thought as I began to sing.

_(Gabriella)  
We were strangers, startin out on a journey  
Never dreamin' what we'd have to go through  
Now here we are, and Im suddenly standin'  
At the beginning with you  
(Troy)  
No one told me, I was going to find you  
Unexpected what you did to my heart  
(both)_

_When I lost hope, you were there to remind me  
This is the start_

And life is the road  
And I wanna keep going  
Love is a river and  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road now and forever a  
Wonderful journey.  
I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storys through  
In the end I wanna be standin'  
At the beginning with you.  
(Gabi)  
We were strangers on a crazy adventure  
(Troy)  
Never dreamin' how our dreams would come true  
(both)

_Now here we stand unafraid of the futeure  
At the beginning with you_

And life is the road  
And I wanna keep going  
Love is a river and  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road now and forever a  
Wonderful journey.  
I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storys through  
In the end I wanna be standin'  
At the beginning with you.  
(Troy)  
New there was somebody somewhere  
Help me alone in the dark  
(both)  
Now I know my dreams will live on  
Ive been waiting too long  
Nothings gonna tear us apart.

And life is the road  
And I wanna keep going  
Love is a river and  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road now and forever a  
Wonderful journey.  
I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storys through  
In the end I wanna be standin'  
At the beginning with you.

life is the road and  
I wanna keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep going on  
Starting out on a journey

And life is the road  
And I wanna keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
In the end I wanna be standin'  
At the beginning with you.

As we completed the song Troy leaned over as he planned and kissed my cheek gently. As the curtains closed I realized something about Troy and me. No matter how in love we were at the beginning it wasn't the same anymore and it strengthened my resolve to sing my next song, along with Troy's reaction.

"We did great Troy," I cried out in an enthusiastic whisper, because the next act was starting.

He nodded briefly before whispering in my ear, "Look Gabi I'm going to go watch the rest of the show, you going to come?" How dare he not even tell me good job back.

"No thanks Troy, I'm going to hang back here."

" 'Kay," he replied as he walked away, and I could have sworn I saw him wink at that cheerleader Serena.

I went back into my dressing room, changed my outfit and got ready for my final performance of the night.

Troy sat with his friends watching the rest of the show. It didn't really matter to him that Gabi wasn't there, she was a great girl and all but since the musical she had been different. It was like she expected him to pay attention to what she said. He loved her and all but Gabriella needed to learn boundaries because she was overstepping hers. Girls were supposed to be sweet and nice, both characteristics of Gabriella's but she thought she was his equal, no girl was his equal. He was THE Troy Bolton. Troy was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't register that the announcer just told everyone to welcome Gabriella Montez to the stage

I heard the announcers call out that there was a last minute addition and everyone needed to put their hands together for me. I stepped out from behind the curtains in my new outfit. I was wearing my favorite jeans, v-neck white blue shirt, cowboy hat and black boots.

"Hey everyone," I called out into the crowd. "My name's Gabriella Montez and I need to dedicate this song to a special somebody." I paused, everyone was probably thinking Troy, they're right but not for the right reasons. "I've been through a lot these past months and I owe that all to Troy Bolton. This one's for you!" As I yelled to the crowd and allowed them to keep their belief that all was right with the Troyella story for the next couple seconds I caught Troy's floored look. I gave him a wink and began to sing, throwing my heart and soul into the song.

_To state the obvious,  
I didn't get my perfect fantasy.  
I realized that you loved yourself  
More than you could ever love me.  
So go and tell your friends  
Im obsessive and crazy,  
That's fine,  
I'll tell mine your gay.  
And by the way,_

I hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive,  
Youre a redneck, heartbreak  
Thats really bad at lyin'.  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time.  
As far as I'm concerned  
You're just another picture to burn.

There's no time for tears  
I'm just sitting here planning my revenge.  
There's nothing stopping me  
From going out with all your best friends  
And if you come around saying sorry to me  
My daddys gonna show you how sorry you'll be.

'Cause I hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive,  
Youre a redneck, heartbreak  
Thats really bad at lyin'.  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time.  
As far as I'm concerned  
You're just another picture to burn.

And if you're missing me  
You better keep it to yourself  
'Cause coming back around here  
Would be bad for your health.

'Cause I hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive  
You're a redneck, heartbreak  
Who's really bad at lyin'  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time  
In case you haven't heard,

I really, really hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive  
You're a redneck, heartbreak  
Who's really bad at lyin'  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time  
As far as I'm concerned,  
You're just another picture to burn.  
Burn, burn, burn, baby burn.  
Just another picture to burn  
Baby burn!

There was silence after I finished. Nobody knew what to do. I had just broken up with THE Troy Bolton through song, publicly and said that he was a terrible boyfriend, which none of it was really a lie. Then it began, probably started by Sharpay, but an overwhelming roar of applause and a standing ovation by all the girls.

I caught Troy's eye once more before the curtains closed. His face was of utter disbelief. As for my face, well I hope it was something that portrayed the message _Take that Troy Bolton. I just bested you at your own game. No matter how many people love you on the basketball court they don't know the real you. Now they'll just see you as a boy. Don't come back to me because I'll have moved on._

The curtains closed and ended my performance completely. I walked backstage and down the hallway listening to the sound of my heels on the floor. This is what guys get when they underestimate girl power and strength.


End file.
